Taiwan’s male paddlers lose 1-3 against France at the world championships semifinals

2024-02-25

Taiwan’s male table tennis players played singles matches against French players at the World Team Table Tennis Championships over the weekend. Team Taiwan won the bronze medal and is now qualified for the Paris Olympics. Let’s look at how Saturday’s matches unfolded.

Taiwan table tennis player Chuang Chih-yuan on Saturday faced French rival Felix Lebrun. Chuang won the first game, but lost three consecutive games afterward.

Team Taiwan’s second player Lin Yun-ju then faced off against Felix’s elder brother Alexis. Lin took the first game, came back to win the second game, and won the next one, evening up the overall score.

Broadcaster
Lin Yun-ju has won the third match 11:5, for three consecutive wins.

After that it was Lin’s turn to go up against Felix once again, but the Taiwanese paddler lost three consecutive games against his French rival.

Taiwan’s male table tennis players competed in the world championships for the first time in 10 years on Saturday. Although the players lost 1-3 against their French rivals, and will not advance to the finals, the team’s bronze win means they will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

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桌球世錦賽不敵法國台灣男團奪銅牌平紀錄

2024-02-25

台灣男團睽違十年，闖進世界團體桌球錦標賽4強，但可惜對戰強敵法國，只靠著林昀儒拿下1點，最終台灣男團以1:3不敵世界排名第四的法國隊，拿下一面銅牌，但仍追平台灣隊史在世錦賽的最佳名次。

對戰強敵法國，台灣隊派出莊智淵打頭陣，面對世界排名第6的F.勒布朗，雖然莊智淵首局先馳得點，但接著連丟三局遭逆轉。

接著第二點，由林昀儒，對戰A.勒布朗，延續著四強氣勢，林昀儒拿下首局後，在第二局逆轉連拿8分，趁勢搶下第三局，為台灣隊扳平戰局。

[[球賽主播]]
“11:5，林昀儒收下了第三局，直落三”

第四點由林昀儒再度披掛上陣，對戰再度上場的F.勒布朗，但可惜連丟三局沒能延續戰局。

睽違十年再度闖進世錦賽四強，台灣男團雖然以1比3敗給法國，無緣晉級冠軍戰，但收穫一面銅牌也追平隊史紀錄，同時台灣男團也在世錦賽，取得了巴黎奧運資格。

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Visitors flock to Kaohsiung on last day of rubber duck art installation

2024-02-25

Visitors from Hong Kong/Macao overtake Japan as largest group of tourists to Taiwan

A sign of post-pandemic recovery is the sight of foreign visitors on the streets. However, Japan, the country that sent the highest number of visitors to Taiwan before the pandemic, has fallen to the number two spot. According to the Tourism Administration, the places where the highest number of tourists came from are Hong Kong and Macao. The reason, according to experts, is the depreciation of the Japanese yen.

A long line has formed in Taipei’s Ximending early in the morning on a weekend. These people, it turns out, are foreign tourists waiting to get their pictures taken on Taipei’s rainbow crosswalk.

Tourist from Thailand
Because it is close to Thailand. It is, I have to say, not expensive.

Taiwan’s great variety of food, as well as its popular tourist destinations like Jiufen Old Street and the National Palace Museum, have caught the attention of foreigners. According to the Tourism Administration, last year, Hong Kong and Macao ranked first with over 1.19 million people visiting Taiwan from the two territories. Japan ranked second with 928,000 visitors, and South Korea came in third at 744,000 visitors. Meanwhile, more than 400,000 visitors each from Malaysia and Singapore came to Taiwan for sightseeing.

Tourists from Hong Kong
We go Shopping. There’re lots of good gifts. We were just here in August. We’ve come two or three times, once every year.

The latest figures are quite different from those of 2019. Before the pandemic, Japanese tourists ranked the highest at 2.16 million. Last year, however, there were just 928,000 visitors from Japan. Experts say the depreciation of the yen had a lot to do with the drop.

Huang Cheng-tsung
Dept. of Tourism professor, Providence University
The depreciation of the yen has led to higher costs for Japanese when they go abroad. Also, Hong Kong is closer to Taiwan. Another thing is, many Hong Kong tourists had come to Taiwan to study in the past, so they already have a close connection with Taiwan.

Another reason for the rise of tourists from Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia is government policy. Until the end of July this year, travelers from the Philippines, Thailand, and Brunei can visit Taiwan without a visa. Moreover, up till the end of June 2025, foreign passport holders who travel independently can enter a lottery to obtain NT$5,000-worth of vouchers if they register within seven days before arrival. Tour groups made up of four or more people can also apply for NT$5,000- to NT$50,000-worth of vouchers. All this is so that the government can reach the goal of 12 million international tourists coming to Taiwan in 2024.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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2024-02-25

The CIP holds annual conference to observe International Mother Language Day

2024-02-25

German immigrant and her husband run printmaking studio in Taichung

A German immigrant and her husband are running a printmaking studio in Taichung. Katharina Eckert and Tung Yu-hao met as art students in Germany. The printmakers now run a studio where they exhibit their work and offer a wealth of art classes for the local community. They’re also involved in community design projects, bringing beauty to the streets of Yunlin. FTV took a tour around their studio to learn about the creative process.

Each print hanging here has a story behind it. They are based on stories collected by Katharina Eckert and her husband during their art studies in Germany. But the works are brand-new paper intaglio prints.

Katharina Eckert
Artist and German immigrant
For example, this one comes from something one grandpa told me. When he was a child, they had nothing, and just once a week his mother would make a cake, because their friends would come over to make music. He’s peeking through the keyhole to see if there’s any cake left.

The couple based the series of works on 12 themes. For three weeks, they exhibited the prints, made using a paper intaglio technique not found in Germany, in the city of Darmstadt.

Tung Yu-hao
Husband of Katharina Eckert
A local Darmstadt gallery owner came specially to see our work at the opening of the exhibition. Because he hadn’t heard of the paper intaglio technique and was curious about it.

The novel Taiwanese printmaking technique opened a new avenue for exchange with Germany. It was an unforgettable artistic exchange for the young couple.

The pair are both printmakers, and are involved in community design projects. These “Wukelu Bamboo Shoots” installations in Dounan Township, Yunlin, is one of their works.

Katharina Eckert
Artist and German immigrant
We were at my home, and I was firing it with a blowtorch. When you spray a kind of acid on it, it gradually forms this blue-green color. It’s all deliberate, all in the plan.

Eckert and Tung were peers in a postgraduate class. They moved to his hometown Taichung after graduation to set up this printmaking workshop. They want to make their prints relevant to daily life, and offer drawing classes and “Give It a Try!” pottery classes.

Eckert says that creating art is healing – but also addictive. She will keep on finding new avenues for collaboration, to gain visibility for her work, and offering experience classes for the community. Art can feel like a rarefied world, but she wants to fling open the door.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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2024-02-25

More than 140,000 tulips in bloom at Shilin Residence untill March 3

2024-02-25

F.C. Vikings move up to Premier League

Today we take you to meet Ertugrul Bastug, a Turkish player who plays for a soccer club in Taipei called the F.C. Vikings. Bastug had played soccer in Turkey, but due to a knee injury, he took a few years off to travel around Asia. He came to Taiwan in 2020, fell in love with the country and started playing for the F.C. Vikings. The team recently won first place in Division 2 and moved up to the Premier League. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

He warms up with his coach, discussing different tactics. This is Ertugrul Bastug from Turkey. He is a player for F.C. Vikings. The team recently placed first in Division 2 and moved up to the Premier League.

Ertugrul Bastug
F.C. Vikings player
I started to play football when I was a kid. 7 or 8 years old in Turkey. In a very good academy in Istanbul, in a good team. Why I come to Taiwan? The first is that it is a beautiful country and beautiful people. I like the Tawiaense food and right now I have a good team – the Vikings. I am very excited to play with them. Last season, we won the championship for the Vikings. I am super happy.

Bastug grew up in Turkey, where he started soccer training at a young age. Due to a knee injury when he was 19, he took a break and traveled around the world. He moved to Taiwan in 2020 after visiting over 20 countries. He decided to stay in Taiwan and continue his dream of playing football.

Ertugrul Bastug
F.C. Vikings player
I got the injury when I was 19. My knees broke. After I stopped playing for one to two years. Then after, I traveled to Asia. Football is my dream. I want to try it again and again. Right now, my physio is good. This year I want to show my best for Vikings. I traveled more than 28 or 30 or something. Around including Asia, Central Asia, the Balkans, Europe, and the Middle East. I travelled aroud. After that, I came to Taiwan. I met Vikings and I started playing football again.

Johnni Nielsen from Denmark and his wife, Hope Tsai, founded F.C. Vikings in 2010 to make football more accessible. Over the 13 years, they have provided free football training for elementary school students up to adults. Last year, the team invited Oliver Harley to serve as the head coach. Harley is from Jamaica and has lived in Taiwan for 20 years coaching soccer. Under his leadership, the team won first place in Division 2.

Oliver Lazarus Harley
Head coach
My coaching philosophy? Football has been my life since I was a child. I don’t really separate football from life. My coaches always told me that football is life and everything that happens on the football field happens in your life. I try to let my players know that all the principles and characters that they in life should be demonstrated on the football field and vice versa. They need to be honest people, upstanding people, and help others, which is part of football as well, you work as a team.

The team’s goal is to stay in the Premier League and to one day represent Taiwan in the AFC tournament.

Johnni Nielsen
Founder
It is exciting for us to move up to the Premier League after just one year in the second division. This is something we have been working for for the last 13 years. When we started 13 years ago, many of the kids that started with me at that time they are now going to play in the premier league so it is a big thing for us. The goal is for us to stay in the Premier League this season and hopefully, we can do good and keep on staying there. One day, maybe we can represent Taiwan in the AFC tournament.

Oliver Lazarus Harley
Head coach
It has kind of been my goal since I started working with football here is to get to the top league and carry a team up. We made a team out of players from other teams, some that were Vikings, young boys, older players. A mix match of Vikings and put them together. We won the league. I am very happy about that. I am very with the players and for the club.

Another goal is to help football grow to an even more professional level in Taiwan, by working with the community and engaging in cultural exchanges.

Johnni Nielsen
Founder
In the last 13 years, what I see is that football is growing slowly but steadily. Us being part of that is something that I am very proud of. It is something that I tell people, not in Taiwan but at home about. That is also why we have a strong connection with Denmark for example and also the other countries where my coaching staff is from. We are lucky that we got the Taipei Stadium as our home pitch right next to Taipei Arena. We want to more what I talked about before. Our football culture. Where I am from and where the coaching staff is from. We’re going to invite different vendors to come and sell food. We need to work more together. The youth departments have to be better and the sponsorships have to be better as well. This is what it takes to have more interest for football in Taiwan because the more we can put Taiwanese football on focus in the world, I think the better it is for Taiwan in general.

The team will begin their season in April. After 13 years of hard work, the F.C. Vikings hope to continue to train more soccer players, helping them to shine in Taiwan and on the international stage.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-25

‘Smart plant factory’ in New Taipei grows lettuces with generative AI

A “smart plant factory” in New Taipei is growing lettuces with generative AI. The factory uses hydroponics to grow a wide variety of different lettuces. They are sold in stores and restaurants, and consumers can buy their own system to grow produce at home. FTV took a tour of the factory.

Workers wrapped up in coveralls and mob caps carefully colonize this tray with seedlings. Each step is important to making sure they grow successfully.

Lin Hsin-hung
Smart plant factory
This is called a Batavia lettuce. It has red pigment. There’s quite a high amount of anthocyanidin in this, so it needs more red light in its lighting.

Factory director Lin Hsin-hung explains that in hydroponics, the growth of plants depends on the strength and color of the light sources as well as the arrangement and distance of the lamps. It’s difficult to adequately mimic natural environments.

Lin Hsin-hung
Smart plant factory
We find that the disturbance of a fan gives them just a bit more nice crispness.

Smart plant factory manager
In the first step, when we check it before packaging it, we’re looking at its appearance. For example, has it squeezed the top of the container, does it have any bad parts, and if so, we cut them off.

These insights are the result of years of work by the development team. This “smart plant factory” in New Taipei’s Banqiao uses automated technology to produce organic hydroponic plants. They are sold in department stores and convenience stores, as well as high-end restaurants. And you can even buy a “smart field” to take home and grow your own.

Lin Hsin-hung
Smart plant factory
People have made lots of breakthroughs now, especially at Nvidia, in terms of chip settings. They’re very good now. Also we have generative AI. Previously we had it fully automated, so if our nutrient feed lacked something, when it was detected, it would be automatically added. Or if it got too hot, the cold air would automatically be turned on.

The farm looks like a series of small aquarium tanks, but they can grow many different types of lettuce. Special modes apply to different varieties of the plant. You can even try the system at home. Perhaps before long you won’t even need to press a button to control it, but you’ll just run the farm on voice control. With AI, anything seems possible.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

2024-02-25

Strong continental cold air mass arrives, lowering temps in the north to 10 degrees

2024-02-25

Taiwan’s male paddlers lose 1-3 against France at the world championships semifinals